During the pro-illegal alien rallies in cities across the US last Spring, activists were hard at work registering illegal aliens to vote as Democrats. In New York, a city that doesn't require proof of citizenship to vote, activists registered tens of thousands of illegal aliens during a huge demonstration in Manhattan. News reporters on the scene ignored the illegal voter registration, preferring to give Americans a distorted view of the illegal alien issue.

Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO), chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus in the US House of Representative, declared in a press statement that he introduced a bill that would penalize states which refuse to require proof of US citizenship before someone is allowed to vote in federal elections.

Under the Voter Integrity Protection Act (VIP Act), states would need to see a valid photo ID proving US Citizenship for voting or those states would have their federal highway funding cut by as much as 40 percent, according to the Tancredo statement.

“In some parts of our country, all residents are granted a de facto right to vote, regardless of whether or not they are citizens. Such widespread voter fraud blurs the line between residency and citizenship and it reinforces the message that you don’t need to be an American to have every right and privilege of American citizenship. If even non-citizens can vote, what value does American citizenship have anymore?” said Tancredo.

“Illegal votes undermine our democracy. The VIP Act would help preserve the integrity of our democratic system, which is one of the most important responsibilities we have in Congress,” he added.

Citizenship is the major requirement to vote in the United States. However, the integrity of the vote is being ignored by lawmakers and enforcers, resulting in widespread practice of voter fraud.

For example, during the special election in the 50th Congressional District in California, Democrat Francine Busby told a predominately Latino crowd a few days before the election, “You don't need papers for voting.” Republican Rep. Brian Bilbray won the election by 7,000 votes.

Tancredo also alleges that Illegal votes may have made the difference in at least one Congressional election. In 1996, Republican Rep. Bob Dornan lost his Orange County, California seat to Democrat Loretta Sanchez by fewer than 1,000 votes. State elections officials found that at least 300 votes in that election were cast illegally by non-citizens, but they failed to conduct an indepth investigation.

“In many states today, you can register to vote without ever being required to show that you are a citizen. Motor-voter registration and a rise in absentee ballots have only exacerbated voter fraud. If certain states are really so committed to protecting illegal aliens who vote, let them put their money where their mouth is and take a hard hit in federal funding,” said Tancredo.

The VIP Act, if passed, will stipulate that state and local election officials may not provide a ballot for an election for federal office (including a provisional ballot) to any individual unless the person presents a photographic copy of a document that proves the voter is a US citizen.

In addition, because many states issue motor vehicle driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, they will not be considered as a document which provides proof of citizenship unless the state issuing the license requires proof of citizenship as a condition of receiving the license.

If the Tancredo bill passes, starting with the 2008 election cycle, states which do not comply with the VIP Act would sacrifice 10 percent of their federal highway funding, and they would see an additional 10 percent cut in funding each year for an additional three years, or until they have come into compliance with the Act. If the states comply with the Act during the first four years, they will receive their entire lost federal highway funding in future appropriations.

The bill also provides funding to make free photo identifications available in order to avoid any challenges based on the 24th Amendment’s prohibition of poll taxes, which would take away the rationale for activist judges to overturn state laws requiring voter identification.

Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for a number of organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. He writes for many police and crime magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer, Campus Law Enforcement Journal, and others. He's appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com, Booksamillion.com, and can be ordered at local bookstores. Kouri holds a bachelor of science in criminal justice and master of arts in public administration and he's a board certified protection professional.